Vehicle-indicator.



UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

EDWARD. E. LAWLER. OF PINGKNEY TOWNSHIP, LEWIS COUNTY, NEW YORK.

VEHICLE-INDICATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

a citizen of the United States, residing'at Pinckney township, in the county of Lewis"- and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Indicators, of which the following is different sha es, as for example, a hand,; afs.

a s ecification.

his invention relates to improvements in vehicle indicators, designed particularly for use in connection with automobiles, and has for its object to provide novel, simple and cheap indicators of the class, which are disposed on the mudguards, preferably at the extreme front portion of the vehicle in plain view of approaching vehicles and pedestrains. A furtherobject is to rovide right and left hand indicators of t e class for indicating various turning movements of a vehicle and disposing said indicators at the extreme side, as well as at the front limits of the body of the car, where their view is unobstructed by any other attachments. A further object is to provide novel and simple means partially located within the car, preferably in the vicinity of the dash, for operating the said indicators independently. And a further object is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of mechamsms of the class.

I-attain these objectsby the means set forth in the detailed description which follows, and as illustratedby the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a broken side elevation of an automobile; showing one of my indicatorsapplied and in the operated position.

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the car; showing the right and left indicators, the full and dotted lines showing one indicator operated and the other released.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, view of the guide employed for guiding and locking the operating rod.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View of the operat ing-rod Ttniiwranhh;

Fig. 5 isran *epla i ged end view ,of one of.

the indicators in tfigoperated position.

Fig. 6 is anenlarged. hear-side view of the same.

Fig. 7 is a .detail view operating shaft; showing locking notch J In the drawlng, 2 re resen an automobile, 3 the ash w "a, body of P Speciflcation of Letters latent.

Application filed December s, nus. m1

Patented June 12.

r respectively the left out mudguar arr"angemen a I My I indicatcrs e-c are mad if'sabstantially alike, preferably out "of sheet: "metal,

mamas.

v 8,311 0f which f the usual construction and andmay befplain' o'r ornamental, or i'it ;;into" shown; To e back'of each indicator 15 secured a rod or, shaft 7 which isp ally supported at its ends by brackets 8,

latter havingiloops or eyes to receive 9-9, which may be adjustably secured tov said rods by means of set-{screws 10, 'so they may be set in different.positionsjrelatively.

to the indicators. The indicators 6'6' when 1 idle or in released position preferably lie substantially horizontally upon and parallel to the tops of the mud-guards and when operated, the indicators preferably move forwardly and upwardly and assume a vertical position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6. The indicators 6 6 are operate from the reclining to the upright or signal posi tion by means of rods 1111, the forward ends of which are pivoted to the upper ends of the cranks 99 and thence extend rearwardly and pass through the openings at in the dash 3, and also through guides or plates 12, which are secured to the inner side of the dash, and which have key-hole shaped open- 3 ings 12' therein (see Fig; 3). The opposite ends of the rods are provided with footpieces 13, which maybe engaged by the feet of the driver of the car, for moving the rods forwardly for tilting the indicators 6-6' fromthe reclining to the up-right positi I (see full and dotted lines inyFigs. 1 and To hold the indicators in the upright position without requiring the continued pressure of the drivers feet, the rods 111 1-' ere notched near their inner eilds for providifig-- reduced portions 14, which when the r s are forced forwardly ,drop into the narrow portions of the keysholes 12'. This serves to lock the indicators inthe upri htxposition, and when it is desirable to re ease-the indicators, the driver lifts the foot-pieces 18 with the toe of his boot,.whereupon springs- 15 force both the rods and the indicators from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1.

By dis )osmg the indicator plates (i-6 near the orward ends of the mud-guards, as shown, the view of the indicators 15 not obstructed by any of the lamps or other attachments usually Ctl lllfd by automobiles. They are also located substantially at the extreme lateral margins of the vehicle and may be more readily. seen than if they were disposed farther to the rear or mounted on the body of the car. .In the preferred location, as

shown, my indicators may 'be readily seen at ni ht by approaching cars, because the headights of the latter cast their rays upon the indicators, thus bringing them clearly into view. Furthermore, the head-lights of vehicles following an automobile equipped with m indicators, also light up the rear sides 0 the indicators,'and as they are disposed beyond the side lines of the car. as described, they are readily discernible from the rear, as well as from the front. The mech. iisms which I employ for operating my indicators are extremely simple in concombination tl itlf, the mud-guard and the dash, of an indicator plate pivotally mounted on the top of the mud-guard ahead of the body of the vehicle, a shaft secured to said plate, a crank adjustably secured to said shaft. a rod pivoted to said crank and piercing the dash' and also a guard-plate carried by the dash, said uard-plate having a keyhole and said rod aving a notch for engaging the said key-hole for locking the indicator in the operated position.

2. Indirect-ion indicators for vehicles, the combination with the mud-guards and the dash of a vehicle, of a pair of indicator plates mounted transversely upon said mudguards, brackets for pivotally securing said plates to the mud-guards, cranks carried by said indicator plates, independent operating rods connected to said cranks and piercing the dash, guard-plates secured to the dash having key-holes to receive said rods, and means for temporarily locking said rods at the end of each forward operation.

In indicators for vehicles, the combi nation with the mud-guards and the dash of the vehicle, of a pair of plane indicators disposed transversely upon said mudguards adapted to lie horizontally and parallel to the top sides of the mud'guards when idle and to stand up-right when operated for indicating turning movements of the vehicle, brackets for pivotally supporting said indica-tors, a rod for operating each indicator, and means carried by the dash and pierced by said rods for'locking the indicators in the upright position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

. EDWARD E. LAWLER. 

